


Give a Little Bit

by imqueerdear



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Adam is alive fight me, Dollar store Voltron is Gucci in my heart, Fluff, Kinclain, Langst, M/M, good ole’ Family Feels, idek
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-18
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-06-29 08:19:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 16,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15725550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imqueerdear/pseuds/imqueerdear
Summary: After Sendak’s defeat, its up to mankind to rebuild. Reconnecting with old friends, possibly making new friends, everyone is forced together to pick up the pieces. For team Voltron, this means addressing what’s been left behind, both on Earth and in space. For others, it’s a chance to start anew. All Lance knows is that he has had ENOUGH drama for a lifetime, and especially now he doesn’t want to suffer anymore romances. Not when his family is counting on him. He might end up changing his mind, though, when faced with the possibility of reciprocated affection, instead of the expected rejection.





	1. Chapter 1

The Aftermath

Earth has seen her fair share of turmoil. Humanity’s existence was so minuscule compared to that of their planet herself, and for all the progress they had made, all the destruction they were capable of, they had yet to see such widespread chaos as this. Not that it was new for the planet, species come and go and land and seas will change and shift. Entire civilizations had risen and fallen upon her ground. But mankind had had yet to experience the true devastation that had befallen so many others.  


As it was, they had barely survived Sendak’s invasion. The mightiest weapon in the universe, in the hands of its Paladins, had saved them. But what it failed to save were the homes, the cities, and countries that had fallen in its absence.  
In the aftermath, the Garrison had been stretched to its limits, as the last surviving stronghold of Earth’s defenses. Therefore, the rebuilding process was left to the civilians and volunteers who had begun to carve out new lives for themselves and loved ones, or to return to their homes and salvage what they could.  
Lance’s family in particular was eager to return to Cuba, to the lives and people they left years ago. It was unknown, the state of their house, their city. Lance could picture it all in his mind, but doubted much was left standing. Cuba was one of the first to fall, after all.  
As much as he wanted to know about his home, he was afraid to say goodbye to his family, even only for a couple months, after all his time in space. 

Currently, Lance was spending his last few days in the Garrison hospital, eager for his discharge the following Monday. He had it better than Kieth, who would be there another few days after him, but was jealous of Pidge and her family having left that day before. She had stopped by to give him her best wishes, a kind gesture that had surprised him after what felt like so long since she had been genuinely affectionate with him. Though he was willing to just chalk her rudeness up to stress and worry, which has since been resolved by reuniting with her family, he still felt hurt by her failure to apologize or even mention it.  
But that could wait, as Lance was pulled out of his reminiscing by a knock on the door. Veronica stepped through, alone as she had tasked his other family members with menial jobs around their shared Garrison living quarters, if only to give Lance some peace and quiet.  
“Hey Lance, nice to see you up before noon on a Saturday.” She remarked. Lance very maturely stuck his tongue out in response. “I’m just kidding you know, though it figures it would take some world-altering event to set you on a regular sleep schedule. No, what I’m here to talk about is Cuba.” At this, Lance’s anxiety spiked. He really didn’t want to say goodbye to anyone quite yet.  
“Have we heard from anyone yet?” He asked.  
“Mama hasn’t been able to get in touch with anyone from home, most of the island appears to be without power or signal. That doesn’t mean they aren’t there, though.”  
“Will they go back, then? To find anyone left?” Lance felt somewhat sick at the thought.  
“No, Mama and Mari won’t leave, neither Marco or the niños will go either. He doesn’t want to take them back if there’s nothing there for them, especially with everything we have right here. Luis has volunteered to help rebuild, though I think he really just wants to go to look for his girlfriend. Tia wants to go too, and Abuelita.” Veronica seemed tired as she said this, and Lance wondered just how long his family had been discussing it.  


“So it’s us, Mama, Mari, Marco and his kids?” Though not perfect, this would at least allow Lance to keep some of his family close, though he was hoping he’d get his own dorm because he didn’t exactly want to be _that_ close.  
“Yeah. That said, I have to get back to my duties. I just have a few more and then I can pop by and we can grab dinner?” She asked, hopefully.  
“Sure, just leave me in here by myself, alone, bored out of my mind.” Lance groaned.  
“Adios Hermano.” Veronica twittered as she whisked our the door, glad to have that conversation out of the way.  
Laying back against the pillows, Lance sighed through his nose. He was so ready to get out of this damn room. Two more days and he could be released; he was eager to get back to work. _Huh_ , he thought. _If Hunk we’re here he’d probably make a joke about that_ , he thought bitterly. _Lance? Doing work? I never thought I’d see the day!_ Or something like that. Lance wouldn’t admit it, but he felt like the odd one out amongst the team. He was hopeful that once they got out and had a chance to talk things through he would feel better.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to get more in depth with the characters, though honestly I just wanted the excuse to talk about my boy Adam. Yes, he’s alive. If I refuse to acknowledge his death it can’t hurt me.

Being outside for the first time since the battle had Lance relishing the dusty air and dry, sweltering heat he usually hated. Feeling the sun on his skin and the heat reflecting off the sand and metal of the Garrison grounds was at least a change from the stuffy atmosphere and antiseptic smell of the hospital.  
Lance’s family had come to see him discharged, and brought with them a duffel bag of his belongings which they were able to save before fleeing their homeland. He hadn’t been allowed his things while in hospital care, but once freed he tore through the items like a kid on Halloween. He was ecstatic to find a few of his old outfits, knick-knacks, and his music device. To the delight of his niece and nephew, and the ire of the rest of the Garrison crew, his complete collection of Shakira was safe and sound on the device. If he had been screeching along to it since, well, he’d saved the world so what were they gonna do but bear it. Even his twin, Mari, had brought the jacket he’d sent back with Samuel along with his recording, but he told her to keep it. He preferred just knowing she had it. 

Walking into the main Garrison compound building, Lance made his way to the cafeteria close to his living quarters. This happened to be the one used by most senior officers, as well as the teachers and senior staff. Most cadets were quartered in another wing of the compound, nearer the classrooms and teaching facilities. The Paladins and their families got special privileges it seemed, as Lance, Hunk, and Pidge were still technically cadets, and Keith was never formally welcomed back into the Garrison. Shiro, however, seemed to fit right in and, after a tearful reunion with Adam, had been glued to his fiancé’s hip. Many of the Garrison officials weren’t sure how to react to Shiro’s reappearance, many seemed to revere him as a savior, while others regarded him with more guilt and uncertainty, likely given the treatment he had received on his last visit to Earth.  
Iverson especially, seemed intent on making amends and repairing what General Sanda had broken. Lance wasn’t quite willing to forgive him yet, not after how he and his team were treated as cadets, and was hoping Shiro would hear him out about pulling his new rank so they could pull a few stunts in revenge.  
Upon reaching the cafeteria, Lance looked around for familiar faces. Hunk, Pidge, and Keith were amongst the rebels, seemingly goading Matt into showing off his stories and adventures to them, clearly trying to impress the girl he had brought back. Keith appeared to be wearing his hospital clothes, still, making Lance think that Pidge had probably snuck him out for a bit. He technically still had a few days before he was discharged. Shiro, unsurprisingly, was seated practically in Adam’s lap as he listened to the officer’s explain what were likely their plans and strategies for upgrading the Garrison. Lance noticed Adam didn’t appear to be listening, he instead had his gaze glued to Shiro’s profile. Lance hadn’t spoken to Adam much, but he knew that he was worried about Shiro, and wanted Shiro to talk to him about his experiences. He had come to Lance with this concern, and Lance had advised him to let him get to it in his own time, knowing the leader would open up when he felt ready. 

Seeing these two groups, Lance was reluctant to join either. It wasn’t until he heard Veronica yell that he looked fully across the cafeteria to see her sitting next to the squad she seemed to have found, the MFE fighters.  
“Hey Hermano! Over here!” Had he not been surrounded by Garrison officials, he likely would have flipped her the bird. As it was, he made his way over to their table, noticing upon arrival the lingering gazes of the male pilots.  
“Well, well, what have we ever done to be graced by the presence of the blue paladin himself?” The girl, Rizavi, said.  
“Shut your fuck, Ri.” Veronica so eloquently said, tossing a dried banana chip at Rizavi’s face.  
“There is a 60% chance Griffin will puke if you keep up your flirting, McClain.” The blonde one, Leifsdottir he recalled, stated.  
At first, Lance was concerned she was referring to him, until he glanced over to see Veronica blushing. He kicked her under the table so she knew he saw, and he got a pinch on the arm in return.  
“Ow, Ver! Really, you’re gonna be an asshole to your little brother in front of your friends? You haven’t even introduced us yet.” He knew he’d probably regret his snark later, when his moisturizer was replaced with glue, or something, but he wanted the pilots to think he was cool, okay. Sue him.  
“Friends, meet Lance, my _hermanitooo_ ” she said while squeezing his cheeks.  
Groaning, he shoved her off. “Not cool Ver.”  
“Nice to meet you, Lance.” A deep voice spoke up across from him. “I’m Kinkade, you’ve met Griffin, and now Rizavi and Leifsdottir.” Kinkade said, who, up to this point, Lance had jut been mentally referring to as mr. tall, dark, and handsome. His honeyed gaze held Lance for a second, before he looked at each other pilot, nodding at them as he introduced them. James said nothing, but nodded in reply, and the girls each gave a little wave of their own when mentioned. Lance smiled in return and then looked to his sister. Already knowing what he was about to say, Veronica turned back to her team.  
“Alright I have to get my brother some food and then settled into his room so I’ll see you guys in a bit.” She said as she pulled Lance up off the bench. With a wave they were off. Lance could feel their gazes on his back, and turned around to throw them a quick wave and smile, only to meet Amber eyes. He quickly turned back and tried to fight the heat threatening to rise to his cheeks. If Ver saw she’d for sure give him hell over it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully this was a bit less painful and boring. I promise I’m funny I’m just not used to writing so casually. And I like, totally forgot about Lance’s twin sister in the first chapter? Sue me. As I said before, feel free to send me all the hate you want.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet Mariposa, Lance’s twin. This chapter is just fluffy sibling stuff.

Making their way down the corridors, Lance and Veronica talked in a way that can likely be heard a few halls over. Both emote with their hands, and passerby quickly learn to give them a wide berth. Upon finally reaching the room, Ver turn to Lance. “You’ll be staying here with Mari. The beds are bunked so it shouldn’t be a problem. Mama and Marco and company are the next room over. I’m a few halls down with other officers. If you need anything, ask some one else. Bye!” She prances off, tossing a vague gesture, which Lance interprets as a wave, over her shoulder.  
Sighing, Lance turns to the door. Pressing, the door pad, Lance has to squint as the door opens, the semi-lit interior of the room contrasting heavily with the fluorescent hallway lights. Before his eyes adjust, he’s crushed by a weight that flies at him through the doorway. Grunting uncomfortably as his back hits the floor, he manages to groan out a short “Hola Mari.” His sister doesn’t respond, choosing to instead wrap herself around him like a boa constrictor, leaving him to somehow struggle his way to a standing position without the use or balance of his arms.  
Carrying the girl into the room, she hangs on him until the door closes behind him, at which point she hops off him and makes her way over to the bottom bunk bed where his duffel bag sits from that morning. He takes a moment to look at her again, see how she’s changed in the few years they’ve been gone. She’s technically older than him now, after their time in the quintessence field, and he feels remorse bubble up in his throat at the thought. Just because he wouldn’t go back and change the way things happened, doesn’t mean he can’t have regrets. He should have been there for her, his twin sister Mariposa, who he left to go to the Garrison, and then again to go to space. She showed the wear perhaps the most out of the family, the premature wrinkles by her eyes and sadness he saw within only added to the distance he felt between them.  
Perhaps sensing his thoughts, Mari quickly pulled out his music device and began to shuffle through the Shakira playlists. The device wasn’t plugged into the speakers, so the sound was kind of tinny, but the volume was high enough, and when she started to sing along it didn’t matter anyways.  
Grinning, Lance joined his sister in singing “Beautiful Liar”, taking over for Shakira when it reached her part. They continued to sing along as they put Lance’s few things away. Reaching in the bottom of the bag, Lance felt something he didn’t remember being in it, and pulled out a plastic bag. Inside the bag were stick on glow-in-the-dark stars, like he had on the ceiling of his room back home. Looking up, Mari refused to meet his eyes.  
“I thought maybe we could put them up here like we did back home. It’s kinda childish though so if you’d rather not-“  
“No Mari, I love it.” Lance cut her off. “Will you help me?” She smiled and nodded, grabbing the bag and then vaulting up to the top bunk. Lance pulled himself up, and for the next hour they sat there recreating the constellations they had loved, the ones Lance so sorely missed during his time away. Laying there next to his sister, under the plastic constellation of Leo, Lance let himself breathe. For the first time in five years, Lance McClain let himself feel without trying to hide it, let himself absorb everything he’d seen without trying to pretend it was okay. He felt wetness form on his cheeks, and finally just let the tears fall.  
Looking over at Mari, he found she was already looking at him.  
“I missed you” was all she said before rolling over and smothering him in another hug. They stayed like that for a while, two siblings holding each other, just existing together. Lance fiddled with Mari’s jacket sleeve and hummed softly. He couldn’t replace the years that he’d lost with his family, and he couldn’t make it up to them, but he’d do everything in his power to be there with them from now on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m definitely not doing these relationships justice I’m sorry. If anybody’s still reading at this point, like, do you hate yourself or something?


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the work begins

A knock on the door has Lance and Mari sitting up on their bunk.  
“REPORT TO HANGAR ONE FOR ASSIGNMENTS” says a loud female voice from the other side, before footsteps move further down the hall, presumably to repeat the message to the other occupants in rooms further down. 

Groaning, Lance and Mari help each other down before giving the room a last once-over and leaving. In the hallway they met Hunk and Pidge, appearing out of rooms a ways down the direction opposite they were going. Lance looked around for his Mama and Marco but it appeared they were a ways ahead of them. 

Catching up to them, Hunk swing his arms around Mari. “Long time no see, Mari!” He said. Pidge just nodded and stuck out her hand, which Mari reached under Hunks arm to shake, sending a look that screamed _help_ over his shoulder. 

Releasing her from his bear hug, Hunk exclaimed “I had forgotten how similar you two looked! It seems you’re finally taller though, Lance!” Scowling, Lance poked Hunk in the side while Mari just giggled. 

“It’s nice to see you too Hunk. And to meet you Pidge.” Gesturing back to Lance, she remarked “this nerd has told me a lot about his time up in space, but he never mentioned this cutie.” She waggled her eyebrows at Pidge, a move that had Lance facepalming at her side. 

“She’s not interested Mari! Oh my god.”  
Pidge just smirked at Lance’s mortification. 

“I wouldn’t say that, exactly.” Winking as Lance gaped at her, both girls just snickered. Pidge shouldn’t have been surprised that Lance’s twin’s first move would be to flirt with her. She knew they were both just joking around, especially given that Mari was a bit too old for her, but she definitely thought they would be getting along well. Anyone who she could tease Lance with was someone she could like. 

Hunk figured it was his time to step in and remind them they had somewhere to be. “Okay guys we really should be going to get our assignments now. Romelle and Allura have been working all morning, and just cause we’re paladins doesn’t mean Shiro’s gonna go easy on us if we’re late.” At this, the group continued walking to the hangar. 

Upon arriving, Lance noticed his brother Marco, Matt, and some other rebels loading heavy equipment into a few Garrison land vehicles. Marco ruffled his hair as he passed and gave Mari a pat on the shoulder, while Matt gave Pidge a fist bump, before getting back to work. 

Shiro was standing between Adam and Allura in a small group of officers, discussing quietly in their circle. Upon approach, the circle opened up so Shiro could address the others, giving them a smile as they came closer. Allura stood off to his one side with Romelle and Coran, her face twisting in confusion (and possibly concern) when she saw Lance’s twin. Coran just gave a big smile and a “Nice to see you up and about paladins!” He was usually unfazed by strange things, though, so two nearly identical twins was probably nothing to him. 

“Hey guys. Good to see you. We have a lot to get do so I’m going to need everybody to pitch in. I’d love to give you all more one to rest, but there’s just too much that needs to be done and we need you. Hunk, Pidge, I’m going to need you to go with Matt and his team, a lot of refugees or others we’ve met have arrived now, and they’re setting upon what’s left of the city, about a 15 minute drive from here. They’ve volunteered to pitch in with the rebuilding process, starting there, but are having a trouble integrating their alien technology with our planet’s technology grid. Since you three are the best with that, I want you to go help them.” 

Pidge laughed excitedly about being paired with her brother, and Hunk appeared happy too. He grew ecstatic however, when he realized that Shay would be waiting for him, having come to Earth a few days ago to help, and would be in the city with a few other balmerans. He had seen her a few times already, but not since getting out of the hospital. 

Looking to Lance, Shiro adresses him and Mari. “I want you two with Adam and Kinkade. Normally I’d send Veronica, but I’m going to need her here to help with the Atlas and I also think too many McClains on one mission could be worrisome. You guys will be taking one of the supply vehicles to the outskirts of Phoenix. The drive should only take an hour or so in the vehicles, but be careful. There’s a lot of destruction around the Garrison. Veronica’s been keeping in touch with a couple people from the area, and they’ve secured a warehouse as their base for those who are injured, homeless, or moving to be closer to the Garrison. She says that supplies are starting to run low, and they’re asking for those as well as the tools they’ll need to begin rebuilding and repairing.”

Lance, ignoring the slight jab at him, hip-checked his sister. This would be exciting and he’d be with Mari; he loved his team but being with his family was even better right now. She raised her fist, which he bumped with the back of his. This would be fun!

Adam waved Kinkade over, who had been doing maintenance on his ship on the other end of the hangar. He met them by the first supply vehicle with his rifle slung over his back. “Sharpshooter,” he said with a nod at Lance, who blushed up to his ears and returned the nod. Mari smirked and elbowed her brother in the side, earning a sharp look in return. 

Adam clapped his hands to get their attention. “Okay guys, Veronica helped download updated maps to each vehicle, so we should be able to see the exact location of the base along with areas of significant damage that we’ll need to avoid. Neither of you should need your guns, all the Galra drones went dead after the battle, but stick close just in case. Mariposa and I don’t have weapons so we’ll need you watching our backs. I’ll brief you more once we get closer, but for now let’s just get going.” With this, Adam stepped up into the drivers seat, and began checking the settings of the vehicle to make sure they’d get there safely. Kinkade walked around to the passenger seat, while Lance and Mari hopped into the back. 

The vehicles were strange, Lance thought, passenger area they were in reminding him more of a ship’s cockpit than a car. The rest of the vehicle was dedicated to supplies, though only enough to last a few days. More would be sent out in the days following, assuming their mission went to plan. 

Turning on the engine, Adam pulled the vehicle out and through smaller hangar doors meant for the land vehicles. Following the road, the quickly made their way out of the Garrison compound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully this chapter helped to address some of the issues mentioned wih the first two. It’s still just barely getting started, but hopefully this was at least a bit more entertaining than the first few. I want to make Adam a bit bigger of a character, so I’ll try to integrate him into some more chapters from here on out. I feel like he’s got a lot of potential, and we were ripped off so I’m going to explore that a bit.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The drive there. Just bonding time no action or anything.

In the car, Lance took a moment to observe its occupants. His sister, excited at the prospect of leaving the Garrison, which had been her home and prison the last few years, bounced eagerly in the backseat. Adam, a man who, until recently, he had only heard about from Shiro, sat calmly in the front, driving the vehicle with practiced ease. And Kinkade, something of an enigma to Lance, sat silently in the passenger seat. 

Lance took the time to study him, out of all of them Kinkade was the one he understood the least. His face was stoic, but not hard, softened by the faint lines near his eyes and the relaxed placement of his jaw. He seemed content, though Lance wished he could see into the warm honey eyes currently facing away from him to look out the window. While reserved with most, the few interactions Lance had had with Kinkade suggested that there was more to him than what met the eye. Though, don’t misunderstand, what met the eye was very nice indeed. 

Blushing at his train of thought, Lance looked to his sister to break the silence in the car. Waggling his eyebrows at her, she merely shrugged in return, to which he sighed and looked out the window. 

Surprisingly, it was Adam that broke the silence, saying “so you two are twins huh? Shiro never mentioned it, though Allura looked like she might have a fit when you two walked in the room.” He smiled and briefly made eye contact with Lance through one of the mirrors. 

“Yeah, I’ve been stuck with Mari here all but 4 minutes of my life.” At this, she kicked him. She always got annoyed when he brought up the 4 minute age gap. “I never talked about my family much in space, which is probably why neither Shiro or Allura knew I had a twin. Hunk knew though, and so did Pidge. Mari visited the Garrison once or twice on family visits.” Lance figured this would answer whatever question Adam had been trying to ask, and he wasn’t exactly sure what else to add. Fortunately, Mari stepped in for him. 

“When we were kids sometimes people couldn’t tell us apart, so we’d trick our teachers or sometimes even relatives. When Mama found out she threatened to pull out la chancla, but Marco suggested she make us to extra chores instead. I’ve never forgiven him for that.” Finishing, Mari sat back, clearly proud of her story. Lance had forgotten how she could be even more talkative than he was, something he had missed about his family. 

At that, Kinkade decided to add “Veronica has spoken highly of both of you, especially you Lance.” He turned and gave him a respectful nod through the mirror, which then changed as his lip twitched into an almost-smirk and he said “though she was about ready to kill you after the battle. It took Griffin talking her down to keep her from strangling you, and Shiro and, to quote, ‘everyone else who let him go up there.’” 

Mari snorted and Adam gave a small chuckle. Lance just sighed and said, “Yup, that sounds like Ver.” He paused, and then added, “Do you have any siblings, Kinkade?” He gave himself a mental fist bump for that smooth transition into a conversation that would hopefully allow him to get to know more about the mysterious man sitting in front of him. 

Kinkade raised an eyebrow, apparently surprised that Lance would ask, and responded, “no, I’m an only child. My parents have a few siblings, though, and they have a lot of kids. We’d see them often enough for it to feel like I have siblings sometimes.” Lance was surprised to get such a detailed answer, and wondered if maybe all he had to do to get Kinkade to open up was ask. 

So he followed with, “If you don’t mind me asking, where is your family? I didn’t see them at the Garrison.” Watching closely, he didn’t notice any distinct change in Kinkade’s expression, so he figured it was probably a safe question to ask. 

“They’re back in Colorado. At least, most are. Denver got hit pretty hard with the invasion, so the family that lived there joined my parents in Pueblo. Everything there is mostly intact, and they’re well.” Kinkade didn’t give much away with his face, but Lance could tell by the way he spoke that he was grateful his family was okay. He wanted to know more, but didn’t feel comfortable pushing. I figured they’d have time to talk more, especially if the Atlas was going to be the new home of Voltron. 

Lance threw Kinkade a smile through the mirror, then sat back to watch his sister pester Adam for the aux cord. Despite his insistence that the aux cord was for Garrison equipment only, and that they needed to be able to hear any incoming transmissions, she continued her nagging. Eventually giving up and sighing, he tossed it back to her. 

“Just don’t tell Shiro,” was all he said and then he turned back to driving. Mari’s swirl of victory followed by the beginning notes of Partition. 

Kinkade looked confused and said, “What is this?”

Lance gasped. “Dude, you know, Beyoncé? Her self-titled album?” The level of offense Lance radiated at that at Kinkade chuckling in the front. 

“No, I haven’t heard it. Is it popular?”

“P-popular?” Lance all but screeched. “It’s a masterpiece! You haven’t lived!”

“I guess you’ll just have to show me then.” Kinkade said, and if it weren’t for the fact that Lance was currently collapsed onto the seat face-first, he would have been very at risk of exposing his blush to the rest of the car. As it was, Mari gave him a little nudge as if to say _well?_

Lance gave her a quick glare and then mustered as much suave as he could before replying, “I guess I will.” Adam was definitely sending him a smirk from the mirror and Lance definitely couldn’t see it. 

 

All too soon, however, Mari had to stop the music as they neared the city. Ruined buildings and large chunks of debris indicated where buildings had once lined the streets, the few intact houses standing there vacant and eerie against the rubble. Further in the damage became worse, some buildings knocked down clear to their foundations. Here or there a Galra sentry would lay, gruesome and twisted as though it had been torn through for parts. They made their way very slowly down the most level paths they could, as the roads had been completely blanketed by dust and shrapnel. 

Their maps indicated they were getting closer to the warehouse, and Adam switched a couple settings before turning to the team. “Alright. Lance and I will scout into the area, watching for potential dangers. These people are hungry and scared, we want to be cautious. Mari, Kinkade, stay here and watch the vehicle, these supplies are precious. We’ll communicate through our headsets, make sure they’re turned on. Most importantly, watch eachother’s backs. We don’t need anyone getting hurt on this trip.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always appreciate feedback and I’m happy to answer questions or consider any suggestions. Thanks!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the Warehouse, things start to get a little dicey here. I hate writing action tho so barely. You’re welcome.

The vehicle stopped in front of a dingy looking warehouse. Large, dented garage doors faced what was once the street, and next to them was a smaller access door. Most of the exterior of the building was covered in a collage of dust, graffiti, and scorch marks. Parts of the roof looked to be dented and overgrown by ivy, sinking into their frames. The ware house really did appear abandoned. Not even noise could be heard from the inside. 

Fiddling with the control board, Adam patched a transmission through to the base, waiting for the static to even out to the sound of a voice. “State your name and intent.” Was all it said. 

“This is Garrison officer Adam Wingate reporting for scheduled supply drop-off.” The crew waited tensely in silence for a minute before a reply was sent through. 

“Sending up two individuals to let you and your crew in. You will enter through the access door. Once secure, we will send up carriers to transfer the supplies.” 

At this, Adam replied with a simple “Roger” before powering down the vehicle and turning to his team. “Alright guys, you know the drill. Kinkade, keep watch outside the vehicle. Mari, you keep watch out the overhead hatch. Lance, you’re with me. We’ll go in, establish official contact, they’ll transfer the supplies to their base, and then be on our way. Sharpshooters, I want your guns set on stun. No lethal force unless absolutely necessary. Hopefully we won’t have to worry about it but people are scared and we may very well appear as a threat to the survivors.” 

Lance turned to Kinkade to quickly say “Be safe out here, and take care of Mari.” Before stepping out of the car to follow Adam to the door. It opened slowly, from the inside, to reveal an older man and a young girl. The man had graying hair and wore baggy clothing with a small pistol tucked into his pocket, and carried a battered police shield. The girl had messy cropped dark hair, and held a long pipe, likely repurposed as a weapon. They looked rough, tired. But Lance knew better than to underestimate them. Animals are more dangerous when backed into a corner. 

 

Glancing back, he saw Mari peaking out the top of the car with a pair of binoculars. Kinkade was standing outside of the car, changing position every few seconds to keep every side of the vehicle within view. They would be okay. Turning forwards, he followed Adam through the door, nodding at the girl behind him as she locked it. 

They were in a dimly lit hallway, the lights powered at half and the hum of a generator could be heard from another room. Walking to a staircase on the far end, the took it up to another hallway leading directly overtop the first. Abruptly turning right, an open doorway led onto a catwalk. From here they could see a couple hundred people mingling across sleeping bags and tarps laid out on the floor. 

Approaching from the other end of the catwalk was a middle-aged woman with dark skin and short blonde hair. She stopped in front of Adam, nodding respectfully at both he and Lance. “I am Naomi. It’s an honor to meet you and your crew Officer Wingate. I have people ready to unload the vehicle at your word. Once it is inside the warehouse we have all the means to store and distribute it. Though hopefully it will prove unnecessary, David and Anaia, who escorted you in, can help your crew keep guard.” She turned to nod towards the two who stood off to the side. The old man inclined his head, and the girl just purses her lips. 

“There has been an increase in gang activity in the area since the end of the occupation, but we haven’t any recorded on this side of town for the last few days. Despite this, the more quickly we wrap this up the better.” Adam nodded his head in agreement. 

“Then we’d best get started. Lance, lead her people to the car and tell Mari to unlock the cargo hold. Then stand guard with Kinkade until the unloading is finished and every civilian is inside safely. I’ll give Naomi everything she needs to keep in touch with the Garrison and then meet you back there.” 

A group of a dozen people walked up the stairs to the catwalk and Lance gave Adam an uneasy nod before gesturing to the group to follow him. As they made their way back down to the entrance, Lance was reminded that these people were not soldiers, but mere civilians, by their heavy, sporadic footsteps. Exiting the warehouse Mari immediately noticed them and unlocked the vehicle. Opening the back, Lance gave his group the go-ahead to begin unloading. Then, he turned to Anaia and David and asked them to guard the distance between the vehicle and the door so people could move safely. 

Finally, Lance turned back to the vehicle and joined Kinkade on sentry duty. Shooting him a quick, grateful look out of the corner of his eye, he inclined his head ever-so-slightly in his direction. Kinkade made gave no acknowledgement of Lance’s gesture, other than the light twitching of his lip. Lance took it for what it was though, an almost-smile, which meant a lot more coming from Kinkade than just anyone else. 

Snapping himself out of his thoughts, Lance surveyed the scene before him. A bent street sign on the corner swayed slightly, though Lance couldn’t feel a breeze. Eyes flicking back to Kinkade, he saw that he had noticed it too. Backing up closer to the line of people, he and Kinkade stood at ready. 

A whizzing noise sounded behind him, and Lance instinctively activated his shield. His Bayard was pointed in the direction of the sound, only to jerk back and cover his eyes as the thing exploded. Bright red sparks spread everywhere, and the people unloading the supplies ducked and hurried towards the door, Anaia and David ensuring they made it to safety before following. Another whizzing noise from the opposite direction, and Kinkade turned back to block the next volley of sparks. _Unbelievable, they’re attacking us with fireworks._

The one upside to the situation was that they couldn’t be on the roofs, all of which had to be far too unstable to support any human weight. There was no higher ground in this fight. Mari closed and locked up the car, which just left the two boys defending the area until Adam could get there. 

Stepping his way closer to Kinkade, Lance held his Bayard ready. Pouting, Lance said “I wish my gun could shoot fireworks.” Surprisingly, Kinkade have a half chuckle at Lance’s comment. It has been a while since someone actually acknowledged his jokes with something other than a groan, and he felt himself blushing. 

“If you ask nicely maybe someone at the Garrison will upgrade it for you.” He replied, not missing a beat. Lance just snorted, not willing to give up his concentration to respond. That was when the first shot rang out. Taking cover, Lance looked to see where it was coming from. He fired a few warning shots in the direction he thought it sounded from, but he still couldn’t get a visual. 

Suddenly he heard a thud and the sound of a bullet hitting metal from behind. Turning back, Kinkade was standing there with his shield up protecting him. He had left his back uncovered when he went to shoot. 

“Shit, man. Thanks.” He said. He would’ve felt embarrassed about making such a rookie mistake if he weren’t so focused on the action around him. Kinkade gave a small grunt in reply. 

The sound of the access door banging shut had them looking back, seeing Adam racing out with his shield up. Mari quickly unlocked the car and they all loaded in, letting out a unanimous breath as the doors shut and locked. Pulling away in the safety of an armored vehicle, Lance asked “what about the people in the warehouse?”

“According to Naomi they have their own means of defending themselves. She said that there was an attempted raid once for their supplies, but they crushed that successfully and no one else has tried since. That base is one of the most populated, so it makes sense that there’s safety in numbers.” Adam didn’t seem worried, and from what Lance had seen of Anaia and David’s capabilities he supposed he shouldn’t be either. 

As they pulled around the corner, lance caught a glimpse of two people. They were covered head to toe in grey, the only visible parts of their body being their forearms and eyes. The two watched them drive away, and Lance couldn’t help but shiver at their gaze. 

“Wait.” He said. “These people need help too. What if we just drop the rest of the supplies out of the back.” He knew it was stupid, and there were people who needed it who hadn’t resorted to violence to get it, but the thought of just leaving them with nothing when they had so much to spare didn’t sit right with him. 

Adam turned back in surprise. “You’d want to give up valuable supplies to a gang?” He didn’t seem condescending, just confused. 

“Maybe if they see that we have a way to get what they need they won’t need to use violence to get it. All I’m saying is they’re people too. We should help them just like anyone else.” He felt a little awkward saying it, but nobody had made fun of his idea yet so at least that was a good sign. 

Then, Kinkade spoke up. “I’m with Lance. We can open the back and just push the pallets out and they can grab it. Relatively easy and low risk. 

“Okay then, if you two are for it so am I. Mari, if you can control the hatch while Kinkade and Lance deal with the supplies we won’t even have to stop driving.” 

“Yessir.” Mari waited for Kinkade to climb back and then slid into the passenger seat. “Ready when you are.”

“Go for it sis.” Lance said once he and Kinkade were in position. 

With the press of a button the boys were shoving the supplies out and onto the ground. A number of army rations, cases of matches, jugs of water, canteens of oil, crates of clothing, all went tumbling onto the ground. As the hatch closed back up, Lance saw three more people, all dressed in grey, step out from behind an abandoned building. Then the door shut and it was just him and Kinkade in the back of the car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y’all this was a longer chapter but if I did this length I’d probably only be able to get one out every other day or so. I’m trying to update every day but between school and other stuff it keeps them pretty short. Let me know what you think and if you have any feedback I’d appreciate it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You’re welcome. Healthy communication? Yes please. Pining, oblivious Lance? Double yes. Shiro as dad friend? A blessing.

They arrived back at the base tired, but in good spirits. The moment they stepped out of the vehicle, Lance and Mari were smothered in hugs. Veronica and their Mama has come to make sure they were safe. 

While the McClains were otherwise occupied, Adam got out to greet Shiro and brief him on the success of the mission. After Lance finally escaped his mother’s arms, he felt a had rest between his shoulder blades. Turning slightly, he met Kinkade’s gaze. 

“You should be proud of what you did back there. No one else would have stopped to worry about the others, especially when they attacked. But the mission was a success in more ways than one, and we have you to thank for that, blue paladin.” His hand moved up to squeeze Lance’s shoulder before dropping. Lance felt his face growing red, both from the compliment and Kinkade’s closeness. 

“Just Lance is fine. There’s no need for titles.” Kinkade gave him a soft look. 

“Then call me Ryan.” He said. Lance’s eyes widened and he gave him an uncertain smile. Looking back towards the others, he saw Shiro glancing in his direction as he and Adam spoke, and Lance figured it was time he faced the boss. Sighing, he started over, followed by Kinkade. 

Shiro noticed him as he got closer, Allura now involved in the conversation with he and Adam, and each of them turned to to look at Lance. Bracing himself, Lance’s shoulders tensed and his eyes refused to meet any of the others’. 

“Lance” Shiro said seriously. 

“Yes, sir.” He replied. Cautiously, his gaze flicked up to meet Shiro’s momentarily, before jumping back down. 

“We’ve talked about what you did today. Ultimately, we’ve decided this was the best course of action, and I’d like to thank you. Though as small loss to the Garrison, this could possibly open up doors we hadn’t even known existed, and was, more than anything, the morally right thing to do. Allura and Adam both agree with me, and they may want to speak to you about it as well, but first, may I talk to you alone for a moment?” Lance looked up in surprise, a hopeful upturn of his brow and soft, anxious smile gracing his features. 

“Of course, Shiro. And thank you.” He addressed the last part to all three of them, before they nodded and walked off, Kinkade following behind. Before he got too far though, he tossed an encouraging look back at Lance. 

Alone, now, with Shiro, Lance turned to face him. He wasn’t sure what to expect from this, he figured it could really be about anything. He just hoped he wasn’t going to be yelled at again. 

Shiro for a moment looked uncertain of where to start, something which Lance did not expect, before he cleared his throat and placed a and on Lance’s shoulder. 

“Lance, I wanted to say that I am proud of you. This is something you needed to hear a long time ago, and the fact that I never told you is unforgivable. I have been proud of you since we got to space, since you all took on the immeasurable burden of being paladins. You are brave, selfless, resilient, and kind, and I took all of that for granted. I don’t expect you to forgive me, I failed you as a leader and a friend. I can only tell you that you are essential not only to the team and mission, but also to this family.”

Lance sniffled, tearing up, and throwing himself at Shiro. The man chuckled and caught him in a hug, squeezing gently before releasing him. 

“Shiro there was never anything to forgive. Yeah, it would’ve been nice to hear it, but we’ve all made mistakes. I always looked up to you as someone I wanted to be, but now that I know you, you’re as important to me as Marco or Luis. You’re family Shiro.” Lance awkwardly patted his friend on the shoulder as the man reached up to rub his eyes. Emotional stuff had never been at the forefront of his relationship with Shiro, but he could tell that through recent events they’d grown closer. 

“Thank you, Lance. I’m glad we finally had this conversation even though it took way longer than it should have to get here.” Shiro smiled then stepped back. “I have to go catch the other officers to talk about our next moves. I think it would be a good idea for us to talk more though. Besides, I’m thinking I want you leading some of these missions. After your performance today it’s clear we need you out there.”

Lance blushed at the compliment and scratched the back of his head. Unsure how to respond he just nodded and said, “whatever you need, Captain.” Shiro chuckled at the title and then turned to walk away. Lance watched him go, before turning back to see where everyone else had gone in that time, and to figure out if he was needed for another assignment. 

Kinkade saw him looking around and walked over. “We aren’t needed for any assignments for the rest of the day. I was going to head to the dining hall and then do some maintenance on my equipment. You’re welcome to join me if you like.” 

Surprised, all Lance could do was nod, turning to follow Kinkade back out of the hanger. _this should be interesting_ he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate plot so I did away with it in this chapter for some healthy communication and fluffy flirting. I will have to go back to it soon but let me have this. I always reply to comments and feedback and you’re welcome to send me some hate too I don’t care.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two soft bois talking

Lunch with Kinkade was not how Lance hand expected his day to go, but he wasn’t complaining. They sat down across from each other at one of the long tables, trays in hand. 

Looking down at his food, Lance made an appreciative face and picked up one of the plastic utensils he had grabbed. Kinkade looked about to do the same, before laying out a dozen packets of pepper and beginning to smother his meal with it. 

“No matter what I put on it I can’t make it not taste like Garrison food.” He explained. 

“I’ll take unseasoned chicken over space goo any day,” Lance said, happily, before pausing, thinking, and stealing one of the pepper packets to shake over his own food. 

Kinkade snorted at that, and then began to eat. They ate in silence for a few minutes, the bustle of the cafeteria enough to keep them occupied outside of their food. 

“Thank you.” Lance broke their silence. Kinkade just raised an eyebrow in response, still chewing his food. “For keeping Mari safe. And for supporting me in front of Officer Wingate. You didn’t have to.” Lance looked away, sheepishly. 

“Of course, Lance. It’s what a team does.” Kinkade seemed almost surprised that Lance would even thank him for that. 

“Maybe,” Lance said softly, looking down. He picked at a few pieces of chicken with his fork. 

“I don’t know how it was in space, but here your team members respect and support you. Either of your sisters could tell you that. If you don’t feel that you’re being given those two things, then your team is failing you.” 

Lance looked up, surprised Kinkade would feel so strongly about it. Was it a something he said? Meeting Kinkade’s gaze, his amber eyes seemed to be searching for something in his own. Suddenly self-conscious, Lance blushed and looked away. 

“Um, if we’re done eating then we can move on to maintenance, but I was actually thinking I should go and change first.”

Kinkade’s inquisitive stare softened, before he replied “okay, i should do that to. Meet me by my aircraft?” 

“Uh, yeah okay. I’ll be there in a few.” With that, Lance got up to go change and freshen up. He hoped the awkward self-consciousness about his appearance would go away with a shower, though he had his suspicions that there was likely more to it than just that. Not wanting to keep Kinkade waiting, he hurried off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was super short sorry guys. I’m p bad at fluffy stuff, but I like the relationship development I have going so far. If anyone has suggestions you’d like me to go back into my chapters and include, I’m happy to, just dm me @imqueerdear or shoot me a comment either works!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> :)

In his room, Lance started stripping off his armor before turning on the shower. The rooms in this wing had their own attached bathrooms, an upgrade from the standard cadet dorms. Gathering the few products he still had, he stepped into the warm shower. Washing his hair was a familiar and calming process, giving him time to breathe and ground himself from that morning. The hot water felt good on his sore muscles, and he took the time to massage some floral scented soap into them. Mari wouldn’t be happy he stole it but he’d deal with her later. 

When he finished, he stepped out to dig through his duffel for a pair of clothes. Pulling out a plain navy long-sleeved shirt and a pair of shorter athletic shorts, he dug around for one final thing he prayed Mari had thought to grab. Finding it in one of the pockets, he pulled out his grandfather’s old, blue, beaded rosary. Neither he nor his siblings were particularly religious, but it had always felt like a piece of his home, his family. He slid it on under his shirt and then turned to the mirror. 

His skin had paled in his time in space, looking more grayish hued than the warm brown it was before. A little time under Earth’s sun would fix that. He decided to just towel-dry his hair and then brush it down, he didn’t want to blow dry it for fear of keeping Kinkade waiting. Giving himself one last glance over, he left the room. 

 

“That was quick.” 

“Didn’t want to deprive you of my presence.” Lance joked. Though he didn’t reply, a twitch of his mouth gave Kinkade away. “Okay so how can I help?” Kinkade was currently going through maintenance checks of the landing gear, and though Lance was no Hunk when it came to engineering, he didn’t exactly get accepted to the Garrison for no reason. 

Glancing over quickly, Kinkade stopped and said, “your hair’s curly.”

“Oh um yeah, I straighten it usually.”

Sitting up, Kinkade gave him a lingering glance and then said, “If you could take a look at the weapons systems, I’ve been having trouble with the scope on the guns. There’s something off but I haven’t been able to figure out what, but with your skills you might have more luck.” Lance blushed at the indirect compliment and nodded. 

“Oh, uh, no problemo.” Examining the guns themselves from the ground, he couldn’t find anything wrong in the mechanics. Figuring it might be an error in the operating system, he climbed up into the cockpit. After pulling up the scopes on the cockpit’s control panel he could see what Kinkade had been talking about. Pulling up the settings and coding, he fiddled with it for about ten minutes before finding and fixing the error. 

Hopping out of the ship, he exclaimed, “all done! You were right, the scopes were off, it was a calibration error. I recalibrated it, there was an error in one or two of the formulas, but they should be fixed now.” Awkwardly scratching the back of his head, he added “I’m not exactly the savviest when it comes to tech stuff though, so you might want to have Veronica double check it just in case.”

Serious eyes meeting his own, Kinkade said “I trust you, Lance. And you don’t need to sell yourself short.” 

Eyes wide and blushing, Lance looked at the ground. Shyly, he said “thanks, Ryan.” 

Smiling, Ryan stepped up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. Leaning in, he said, “thank _you_.” Lance looked up, surprised at his closeness but leaning in anyways. Putting his hand on Kinkade’s own shoulder, he closed the distance. 

It was a bit awkward for Lance, being somewhat tall himself, to have to stand on his tippie-toes to kiss someone. Nevertheless, he scrunched his eyes shut and stretched up to connect is lips with the soft ones waiting for him. 

Kinkade didn’t hesitate before closing the distance, the hand on Lance’s shoulder moving to cup his jaw, and his other hand wrapping around Lance’s lower back. Lance’s arms came to wrap around Kinkade’s shoulders and back, silently swooning at the feeling of the muscles moving beneath them. He could get used to being the one getting swept off his feet. 

The soft changes in pressure on Lance’s lips had him sighing into Kinkade’s mouth, pressing one more deep kiss to his top lip before breaking away for air. Slowly blinking open his eyes, he instantly drowned in the depth of the other’s. He couldn’t believe that this boy he had met just a week ago, most of the time spent being that day. He felt safe, comfortable, as if this boy was a place he had known forever. 

Catching their breath, they slowly separated. “We- should talk about this.” Lance said. 

“Okay.” Kinkade said quietly. 

“I-“ Lance started. “We should take this slow. If that’s okay. I’ve never- I’m not-“

“It’s okay. We’ll go at your pace, Lance. There’s nothing wrong with that.” Kinkade’s warm gaze had Lance practically melting in his shoes. 

“Can we just- see where this goes?” Lance asked, sheepishly. 

“I’d love that” Kinkade practically sighed out before stepping back in and reconnecting their mouths. Lance was pretty sure his soul had left his body at the first kiss and was now just running around screeching incoherently in heaven while his body was left to melt in Ryan’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I fucking suck at this I’m sorry if u hate my writing send me hate if not still feel free to send me hate if you’d like me to change something let me know okay bye. 
> 
> Abt the rosary part, I’m not actually religious, but religion is never mentioned in the show and I know it can be an important aspect for some in their identities, so I wanted to create a more authentic and diverse universe where the characters actually have many more facets to themselves and their history. I figure Pidge is Jewish, and Allura has all her Altean spiritual stuff. Idk for the rest guys most don’t practice or identify with one but I’d like to have SOME rep ya know


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I love fluff and hate plot so have some Kinclain bonding time

Lance and Kinkade spent the rest of the afternoon doing maintenance on the ship and their weapons. Lance even pulled out his Bayard to show it to Kinkade after he asked about it, and Kinkade’s awe at its transformation into its different forms reminded Lance of when he first became a paladin. 

Afterwards, they made their way back to the dining hall for dinner. Kinkade’s group was sitting in the same place as that morning, and as they sat down together Veronica gave Lance a smirk. He pretended not to see it, instead greeting the other pilots. Griffin gave Lance and Kinkade a suspicious look before nodding at Lance’s greeting and offering a soft “hey” in response. Mari plopped down next to Lance shortly later, scorching closer to squish him between herself and Kinkade. The whole of Lance’s right side ended up pressed into Kinkade, which sent butterflies fluttering in his stomach. 

Movement at the door caused Lance to look up, seeing a tired Pidge, Hunk, and Matt walk in. They looked around, and he quickly looked away, before they turned and walked over to a table a ways away and his eyes followed them over. He felt a little bad they didn’t acknowledge him at all, he was sure they saw him. But Matt’s alien chick was over at the other table so he figured that explained it. He didn’t see Shiro anywhere, and figured he would be eating in the hospital with Keith. Apparently Keith had gotten in trouble after breakfast for sneaking out. 

Tuning back in, the conversation at the table was surprisingly relaxed, Rizavi teasing Leifsdottir about something or other while Veronica tried to converse in Spanish with Griffin. He really was terrible. Lance, Mari, and Veronica were left gasping for breath after a particularly interesting conversation which ended with Griffin insulting her cow, and Lance leaned over to whisper what had been said in Kinkade’s ear. Feeling the boy shiver at his closeness, he softly smirked. Drawing back, he made eye contact with him, Kinkade’s brow raising playfully at his cheeky expression. 

“You two are disgusting,” Veronica said, cheerfully. Sputtering, Lance felt his face heat up. Griffin just grunted in agreement to her, but the smirk he threw at Kinkade had the other’s eyes narrowing. Lance felt more than heard him chuckle under his breath, before his hand found Lance’s lower back. Small, gentle movements had Lance sinking into the touch, feeling comfortable enough to throw a potato wedge at Veronica and threaten Griffin with the same. 

The rest of the meal went by the same, and when they finished Kinkade walked with Lance and Mari until he had to split off, the two sharing good nights and a kiss on the temple for Lance. 

A snicker broke him out of his daze, after Kinkade had already rounded the corner. “Shut up.” He said, which just had Mari giggling more. They made their way into their room, quickly falling asleep after the long day. 

 

The following morning Lance woke around 6:30 as his sister was getting ready. Crawling out of bed and going through the motions of getting dressed, he left around 15 minutes later for breakfast. Kinkade met him for breakfast and they shared a meal much like the night before, except the laughter was often drowned out by yawning. 

Lance and Kinkade decided to get some target practice in for the next few hours. Having someone there, who appreciated and shared Lance’s skills, who complimented him when he made a good shot (which was every time), it made a huge difference. 

The light teasing and competitions, the “I bet you can’t hit that” and “Okay but have you tried _this_ ”, the soft touches and corrections, had Lance all but melting. Each time he looked over to see Kinkade’s focused gaze, calmly lining up shot after shot, it took all the willpower he had not to lean over and kiss the corner of his mouth, or his temple, or his eyelid. 

Knowing Kinkade would humor him, he asked him to guide him through using his own Garrison-issued rifle, if only to feel those strong arms wrapped around him and those muscles pressing against his. Getting an idea, his eyes flashed playfully before he quickly turned his head to the side, where Kinkade’s rested over his shoulder, and stole a kiss on the corner of his mouth. His breath stuttered, before he set down the rifle and pulled Lance around for a proper kiss. 

Lance’s band quickly found its way to Kinkade’s face, fingers lightly tracing over his cheekbone to his ear and then back up to outline his brow bone. Kinkade’s strong arms fell to his lower back, pulling him up flush against his body and practically holding him, taking most of the weight off Lance’s tippie-toes. Slotting their lips together more fully, Kinkade took the opportunity to run his tongue along the crease of Lance’s lips. Sighing against his mouth, Lance allowed Kinkade to deepen the kiss. The growing feeling of familiarity, of pleasure and belonging, overwhelmed all coherent thought in Lance’s brain. He only remembered to breathe after Kinkade pulled away to do the same. Foreheads presses together, Kinkade met Lance’s deep blue eyes with his own golden hues. 

“Lance” he sighed. 

“Ryan” Lance chuckled back. 

Time passed quickly after that, and soon enough it was time they made their way back to the cafeteria for lunch. This time they’d be eating during the regularly scheduled lunch time, unlike the day before where’d they’d got back and eaten later, and so likely would see the normal people in the cafeteria. 

To Lance’s surprise, upon arriving at the dining hall, he noticed Keith back in his normal black clothing, sitting at a table with Pidge, Hunk, Shiro, and Adam. They made eye contact briefly, before Lance turned away to follow Kinkade. He was glad to see his friend out of the hospital, but felt unsure of where they stood given the way Keith had been treating him recently. He figured it was best to let the other boy come to him, as not to be a bother, and sat instead with his sisters and the MFE pilots as he had the day before. 

At some point during the meal, Kinkade’s hand has made its way over to untwine with Lance’s under the table. Somehow, Lance felt a lot better about where he stood in relation to the Voltron crew, knowing he would have his sharpshooter and his family on his side. He couldn’t explain all this to Kinkade yet though, he didn’t even know where to start, so he tried to summon all the gratitude he felt and communicate it to Kinkade through a squeeze of his hand. He’d have to actually tell him eventually, but for now that would have to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m actually almost proud of this one. There’s so much I wanna do with this story I wish I could go off in multiple directions at once, for the Romellura and Adashi I want to incorporate, as well as more of Lance’s family, but alas, I am but human.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here’s some supportive Kinkade and a little bit more team and family interaction.

Now that Keith was out of the hospital, Lance knew he’d be expected to interact more with the team. They’d probably want to talk about the coalition, the Galra, and their next moves. Now that they had the Atlas and the Garrison on their side, the could hopefully do a lot more from Earth, at least Lance hoped so. He wasn’t eager to leave again. 

After lunch, Lance and Kinkade decided to go and see where they were needed, as there were lots of chores and odd jobs to be done around the base. They weren’t needed for any more missions yet, Shiro was probably letting them rest from the day before. Instead, Lance found His Mama and Marco in one of the large storage rooms off the hangar, organizing clothing and supplies. 

Marco’s kids, Nadia and Sylvio, were chasing each other around the boxes. Marco just watched them tiredly, but brightened when Lance walked in. 

“Hey Hermano! We could use a hand in here. Do you think you could calm down the kids and see if you can get them do do something a little more productive? Without their mother here it’s been hard to get them to listen to me.”

Lance smiled and said “sure!” Then he looked back at Kinkade and raised an eyebrow as if you say, _you mind?_ Kinkade merely smiled back and then immediately began helping Marco with a large box. 

Making his way over to the kids, they immediately dropped their game and ran up to hug him around the legs. “Tìo Lance!” They screamed. 

“Hey guys, what would you say to helping me out with a cool paladin assignment?” 

“Really?” Sylvio said. Nadia just aggressively nodded her head. 

“Alright, I need you guys to help me organize these crates! Do you think that, between the three of us, we could get some packages put together?” Lance asked, already knowing they’d agree. He picked up the tablet resting by his Mama and started looking through the orders that were needed. They had a couple missions going out that day, not unlike the one he had been on the day before, except they had specific information as to who was where and needed what. 

Picking out an order, he pulled it up and showed the kids what was needed. It was for another base, smaller than the one he had visited with Kinkade, and the details they had were extensive, down to the clothing sizes they would need. Apparently they’d been in contact with this particular base even before Voltron arrived. 

Pulling over a few empty crates, Lance set the kids to work moving some of the clothing his Mama has folded into them, making sure they knew to double check how many items of each size were necessary. Then, he pulled over another crate of Garrison standard boots, and started laying those out too. This particular base had a little over 60 people, and they’d offered to provide a new pair of shoes for each. He figured that after the kids finished with the clothes they could start on that. 

Getting up, he walked over to help Kinkade and Marco who were now putting together med-kits. He smiled at Kinkade, who was looking at him softly. Knowing that both of them were the more quiet type, he decided he’d fill the silence with chatter. He spoke about doing similar work with the coalition, which turned into a broader conversation about his time in space, with one of the others asking a question every so often. 

Eventually, the topic turned to his teammates, and as is sensing his discomfort Kinkade stepped in.   
“Not to interrupt, because I’m sure there’s a lot to say about them, but can I ask about your family? You haven’t said much and Veronica talked mostly about you, I didn’t even know Mari was your twin.”

Shooting him a grateful look, Lance roped Marco and his Mama into helping him describe each member of their family, before then going on about everything he could remember about Cuba, the weather, the beaches, their town. He even talked about his childhood home, making Mama tell some of her stories from before they’d had to leave. 

 

Around what Lance would have guessed to be 16:00 in the afternoon, Allura beeped him through his communicator. Telling the others who it was, he stepped aside to pick it up. 

“Lance,” _wow, it had been a while since he’d heard her voice_ “the team is meeting in conference room 207. Hunk and Pidge are returning from another trip into town, but will be joining us in less than a varga.” He heard Shiro on the other side correcting her, saying that on Earth they called it an hour. “Regardless,” She said, unconcerned, “we figured you’d want to be present in the discussion. Also,” she said more quietly, “some of us haven’t really had a chance to talk to you yet, so we’d appreciate it if you came.” 

Lance smiled at that, knowing that Allura meant well and had likely just been stressed. He knew they were worried about the Altean colony, and that it had to have been hard to see that they had been fighting one of her own. Romelle, he’s sure, took it worse. From what he knew, she hadn’t left Allura’s side since they’d all been pulled out of their lions and rushed to the hospital. He had wondered if there was more going on between the two, and despite what Pidge or Hunk might say, he really was happy for Allura. It had been a while since he’d found himself pining over her, instead finding himself worrying more over Keith and how he’d changed on their journey back to Earth. 

Saying a quick goodbye to his family, Lance walked out of the room pulling a confused Kinkade behind him. “The team is meeting, and I know you don’t know them as well but I wondered if you’d want to come with,” He explained. 

Kinkade squeezed his hand and said “lead the way.” Warmth flooded Lance’s chest at that, making him wonder what he had done to deserve Kinkade’s affection. He would normally have felt awkward about bringing him along, but he knew that he’d need the support to face the team after a week’s separation. 

Making their way up to the meeting location, they arrived at the room which overlooked the hangars through wall-to-wall windows. A large table took up the center, and around it were an assortment of stools and chairs. Allura sat between Shiro and Romelle at one end, Coran on Romelle’s other side. Keith sat by Shiro, Krolia next to him and Kolivan aside her. The table looked as if it could fit 20 or more people around it, so the Voltron team would only need a little more than half. 

Lance sat down in a Chair next to Coran, Kinkade taking the seat next to him. Keith raised a suspicious eyebrow at the MFE pilot’s presence, but otherwise no one questioned it. They were currently discussing the Atlas, and it’s uses for the coalition. Lance had missed part of the conversation, but it sounded like they were debating the most effective way to restore the other Garrison bases around the globe, and where their efforts were most needed in that regard. Earth’s safety was top priority, especially if the coalition would be using it as their base of operations. 

Kinkade scooted his chair closer to Lance and laid a hand on his thigh, and Lance quickly had to try to mask the blossoming warmth in his cheeks. Allura sent him a cheeky look, likely having noticed the closeness of the two. Lance ignored her, instead moving to take the hand on his thigh and interlace the fingers with his own. 

Allowing himself to grow more invested in the discussion at hand, he unconsciously drifted closer to Kinkade’s side. He missed the glares Keith was sending their way, instead focused on contributing as much as possible to the conversation. He was still a bit sore about his title of “the dumb one” and wanted to prove he had valuable input, if only to himself. It did make him feel better though, when Kinkade would hum in agreement with whatever he said. 

Lance was dreading the individual conversations he knew were coming, but he appreciated feeling a part of the team again, and being in the company of those he’d grown to love. And despite his rocky relationship with them recently, he had Kinkade at his side ready to support him if needed, which made all the difference.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to move back to plot but I’d rather just keep writing kissing scenes. Also feel free to dm me on twitter @imqueerdear I’m always up for a good chat or happy to listen to any theories or ideas. If you hate how the story’s going and want me to change everything I’d still love the feedback anyways.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plot plot plot plot plot plot. What is that? Is that a sauce? Basically just talking. Gross.

For the first hour of the discussion, most of the talk revolved around rebuilding the garrison and adding on to it to include places for the refugees, rebels, and a few Blade members to stay. It would sort of function as their diplomatic headquarters for the time being. As Shiro, Allura, and Kolivan lead the conversation on this front, Lance would speak up from time to time to remind them about details they’d forgotten or give them his opinion on an issue. Each time he did was followed with A proud glance from Kinkade or a squeeze of his hand. 

Shiro seemed to be asking his opinion more, something he appreciated, and it felt like maybe the first time in a long time he wasn’t told to shut up or to stay out of a conversation. His confidence in his own contribution to the team would take time to rebuild, but he had stopped immediately flinching each time a comment was directed at him. It helped to have an anchor at his side, keeping him steady even when he felt nervous or self-conscious. 

Soon, Pidge, Hunk, and Matt arrived, taking seats around the table. Hunk raised a curious eyebrow at Lance, not so subtly looking between him and the boy next to him. Lance just shot him a quick _I’ll tell you later_ look, which satisfied his inquisitive friend. 

With their arrival, the conversation shifted to more specific, immediate matters. 

“We have to focus on getting the Garrison back in order, and providing protection to as many people as possible. We don’t know when the next attack will be.” Shiro was adamant that they be able to hold off another attack, especially since the robeast had appeared so quickly after their defeat of Sendak. 

“Hunk and I have been working on integrating alien technology into the Garrison’s technological mainframe, and now that we’ve figured out how to tap into Arizona’s infrastructure to power it for the Rebels, we should be able to pass on the tech to any others we meet. My dad and his scientist teams have been working on finding ways to protect and power other, smaller bases, and we think they’ve found something we can use.” How Pidge managed to say this all in one breath, Lance had no idea, but he waited for her to go on. 

“The Balmerans brought some of their crystals as gifts, if we can use these as small, super-powered generators, or even find a way to equip them with particle barrier technology on a tiny scale, it would be very easy to quickly establish communities and bases. We also have the Olkari plant tech sent by Ryner, and we should be able to get the basics working which could help these bases become self-sustaining. In fact, we’ve already started our experiments with that here. If we’d be allowed to set up a couple greenhouses and use some basic weather tech we should be set.”

As much as Lance pretended this was over his head, he understood enough to know that for this to work it would need extensive planning and labor. But it could totally change the game. If they could develop this tech, and get it out to the public, the people could theoretically protect themselves while Voltron dealt with the threat. Looking to Kinkade he said, “If we could make a particle barrier large enough just to cover one building, all those people in the warehouse, and in similar bases, could be protected even without the Garrison’s help. Pidge, do you think you could create a computer program that could give these bases access to the default Garrison communications and settings? If we could create a network of bases we could have teams all across the country.” Lance was starting to get excited about this, the more he talked about it the more sense it was making in his head. Kinkade was nodding, mumbling about codes and coordinates and training programs.

Pidge and Hunk had turned to whisper between themselves, likely to calculate the logistics of his suggestion, while Shiro copies down his notes, his detached prosthetic scribbling things faster than a human hand would have been capable of. Keith just looked angrily down at the table, his fingers tapping an erratic beat until Kolivan swept them off the table in annoyance. Glancing up in surprise, he made quick eye contact with Lance, then his gaze darkened and he looked back down. Lance had no idea what had his friend in a mood, but it hurt that Keith no longer seemed to trust him enough to tell him. He didn’t know what he had done to upset the other paladin, but didn’t approach him for fear of making it worse. 

He was pulled out of his musings when Hunk spoke up. “That could actually work. It would be difficult, and we’d need everyone else in agreement as it would require all the help we can get, but if we delegate the work we should be able to pull it off. If the Holts focus on the particle technology with the help of the Alteans and Krolia, we should have that working in a few movements- sorry, weeks. If I get started on the Olkari tech with Lance’s help, of course, and whoever else would be willing, we should have that done sooner. If I can get the go-ahead we can begin construction in greenhouses right away, and I can request Sal come and explain any alien plants we might be able to grow.” Hunk rarely got this excited, usually only when he was cooking, but Lance knew he had an affinity for gardens and plants as well. 

“Wait, wait, wait, why ‘Lance, of course’? Why not literally anybody else who’s probably far more equipped for figuring out alien technology?” Keith blurted out. And- ouch, that hurt a little. 

Before he could retort something he’d definitely regret, Hunk explained “Oh, didn’t you know? Lance grew up working on a farm, if there’s anyone here capable of growing alien plants on Earth it’s him. Together we’ll have it figured out in no time.” Hunk added the last part happily. 

Lance couldn’t help but gush “aww Hunk I love you too bro. An unstoppable duo we are.” Kinkade chuckled from beside him, and Hunk fluttered his eyelashes at Lance. Keith just huffed and looked down, but didn’t argue any further. Lance had hoped he’d have more faith in him, but supposed he couldn’t blame him. After all, when had he really showed the team his full potential? It wasn’t their fault they hadn’t seen or had any use for the few things he was good at, besides sharpshooting that is. 

“Okay, team, now that we’ve got a game plan I’ll run it by the other officers and see what they have to add. I’ll send out new assignments tomorrow morning, but for now your all excused.” With this Shiro got up and left the room, still writing things down on his tablet. 

A few others made their way out, but Allura stepped over by Lance and pulled him into a hug. At first, he tensed up in surprise before relaxing and squeezing back. 

“I’m so proud of you, you’ve really stepped into your role as a paladin and leader. I know it hasn’t been easy and I’ve been wrongfully harsh and judgmental in the past. I’m sorry, I love you, but it never occurred to me to actually tell you, and I’ve realized that because of that I’ve unwittingly hurt you.” Allura’s eyes were starting to glisten, and Lance began to panic as he looked down into her morose expression. 

“Oh Allura, I love you like Veronica or Luis or any of the others. I’m not going to hold a grudge over that. You’ve had a lot on your shoulders and no one blames you for forgetting a few things along the way, especially when you have the entire universe to save. I’ll admit, It hurt to feel ignored or unwanted but I never blamed you. We’re all just doing the best we can. And we’re not done yet.” Lance finished, squeezing her shoulders in support. He still felt fondly for her, but no longer in a romantic way. Instead he was reminded of all the times he and Mari would stay up having spa nights and gossiping. Pure familial love. 

She smiled warmly back, which quickly turned into a mischievous grin as she glanced over his shoulder where Kinkade was still standing. Brushing passed Lance, she stopped to whisper something in his head that had his eyes widening and the tips of his ears going red. Lance grimaced as she stalked proudly out of the room, turning to Kinkade and groaning, “whatever she said I don’t endorse so don’t listen to her.” Covering his face with his hands he sighed deeply. 

As his fingers were pried away from his eyes, Kinkade’s own gentle ones came into view. “It’s nothing to worry about.” He said. And with that, they made their way out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys every day I wonder if I’ll actually have to motivation to write and post a chapter and somehow every fucking day it gets done even if it’s not finished until 23:30. Wtf. 
> 
> I just want y’all to know I wrote like 800 words then hated it and deleted it all so this may be bad but it could’ve been 4 million times worse you’re welcome.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little more plot then some angst & fluff 
> 
> Gardening bois and feelings fuck yeah

Mari got him up the following morning long before they’d be called for assignments. “Soooo, Kinkade huh? I was wondering when he’d notice your googly-eyes.” She giggled. 

“I was not making googly-eyes!” Lance screeched. 

“Mmhmm, Okay. Don’t feel bad, he was almost worse.” Placing her hands beneath her chin and making her eyes really big she did possibly the worst Kinkade impression known to man. “Oh Lance, I know I’ve only just met you and you’re my good friend’s little brother, which technically makes you off limits, but please marry me so we can move to the beach and have 20 children and shoot things to our hearts’ content.” How she said all of this without bursting into tears or peeing her pants, Lance had no clue. 

Blushing to his ears, he cried “he does _not_ say that!” He buried his face in his hands, he rolled to the side. His heart felt like it was trying to crawl out of his chest. Curling back up to look at his sister, he pouted. 

“C’mon Loverboy let’s get breakfast.” Mari pulled him off the bed and into the hall, not letting him run back into the room to freshen up saying “your breath is fine and you’re wearing pants everything else is just extra.” So that’s how he ended up walking into the dining hall in his pjs with bedhead, no foundation, and glasses on. Fortunately, it wasn’t like anyone was in uniform at this hour, given Shiro was pretty lax about that since he himself preferred to walk around in workout clothes until 7:30 or 8. 

Sitting down at what was becoming his normal table, he leaned over until his forehead hit the table and was almost asleep again when he felt a hand cuff him around the back of the head. Hand going up to cover the vulnerable spot, he sat back up and glared at Veronica who just smiled innocently back at him. 

A deep clearing of the throat caused Lance to turn his head, and registered Kinkade’s voice asking “sleep well?” His cheeks were a little darker than usual, for reasons Lance couldn’t place, but he grunted before removing his glasses to rub the crust from his eyes. He would be embarrassed about Kinkade seeing him like this, but his full range of emotion didn’t power on until 9 all he felt was a slight discomfort. 

“Wow, Griffin, I think we found someone with worse bedhead than you!” Rizavi said. Veronica and Mari both snorted at that, before Veronica threw him some not so subtle eyebrows. Her gaze sharpened to a distrustful glare as it turned to his side, and Lance followed it to see Kinkade looking rather sheepish, or, as sheepish as Kinkade could look, which was not very. Lance just shot her an unimpressed look, he did not need Kinkade getting the shovel talk before they were even officially a thing, that would just be mortifying. 

After breakfast Lance and Mari returned to their room to change into their uniforms and then left to meet everyone in the hangar. Much like last time, Shiro stood next to a sleepy Adam while delegating out jobs. Most assignments stuck to what they decided in the meeting, and those who weren’t assigned new jobs were expected to perform not only their own normal duties, but also those of the others as well. Lance didn’t envy Mari, who was assigned housekeeping duties, or Veronica who was needed for programming and log inspections. 

What was surprising was when Shiro said “Kinkade, you’ll be with Lance and Hunk.” He walked over to stand by Lance, who had been pulled out of a conversation with Hunk upon hearing his name. 

As he stopped, Lance said, “I have to be honest, I wasn’t expecting you to be placed with us.” 

All Kinkade replied was “I’m good with plants.” Lance could have cooed at how adorable he thought that was, but settled for bumping his shoulder against Kinkade’s bicep. 

As Shiro finished, Lance and his group made their way out of the hangar, the designated greenhouse spots not being too far away from them. The equipment they needed had been moved out that morning, and as daunting as building a greenhouse themselves sounded, it was supposedly pretty easy. According to Hunk, who had read the directions, if they could get placement of the corner poles right they’d secure on their own. Lance loved technology. From there they’d stand up large glass panels between them, which would then attach to the poles as walls. Putting on the roof would be a similar process to the walls, but it would slide on from the outside and then click together once in place. It was easier than building with legos. 

Because the glass and metal would be hot after sitting out under the sun for an hour or two, they pulled on thin gloves. Already, it was reaching stiflingly hot temperatures, and within five minutes they’d all tied the top parts of their uniforms around their waists, leaving them in just the white tank tops they wore underneath. And boy, Kinkade needs a warning label for those arms cause _damn_. The sun practically glistened off his shoulders and the muscles rippled in his arms when he’d pick things up and Lance was feeling all kinda things for that boy. 

They quickly found out that directions are universally unreadable, because this state-of-the-art greenhouse was coming together like some shitty Ikea furniture. And Lance said as much. Kinkade just gave a rumble of laughter and Hunk sighed before suggesting they “wing it”. It surprisingly worked much better after that, and within the hour they had two large greenhouses put together. 

By this time, Lance felt sweat pooling in his Garrison-issued boots and opened the greenhouse waterline before sticking his head in the spray. He was sure he looked silly with water dripping off his haïrais neck and his bangs slicked back, but he felt so much better. Hunk came over to splash a little on his face before pulling off his headband to use it to tie his hair into an itty-bitty man bun. Kinkade just stripped off his tank top, leaving his glorious torso exposed to Lance’s eyes. Hunk reached over to put a hand on his shoulder as the boy swayed a little in his daze. 

After that, was organizing planter boxes for the plants. These took a little more time, as they had to be assembled by hand. Not only that, but a lot of the alien plants would need special environmental controls and conditions, so after filling one greenhouse with planter boxes for the earth plants, the sat around in the other just drafting plans for accommodating each new plant’s specific needs. 

Afternoon and dinner rolled around, and they switched over to tinkering with Olkari on technology to see if it offered any guidance. Lance and Kinkade would keep a record as Hunk fiddled with each specific thing, many times forgetting to jot something down in their fascination or surprise with each new technology. In particular, Lance got excited about the Olkari’s ability to speed up the growth process, which would make it possible to harvest multiple times a week so long as the boxes were maintained and planted daily. 

Once they finished their work for the day they all headed in to shower and eat. Kinkade pulled Lance aside after dinner, saying he wanted to talk privately. Lance followed him to the roof, pretty much the only space they had a guarantee no one would interrupt them. 

The sun was setting, and the desert was cooling down. Lance remembered how much he had missed Earth’s sky, promising himself to never take it for granted again. 

Kinkade cleared his throat next to him, pulling Lance out of his reverie. “You are close with your teammates.” He states. 

Lance answered with a confused, “yes?”

“But you are upset. With them.” Lance begins to catch on to the question he’s asking. 

Quickly, he clarifies, “they are great teammates and even better people.” He doesn’t want Kinkade to get the wrong idea, to think they’re the issue in this equation. 

“That’s not why you’re upset.” He is blunt, straight to the point. Lance figures that this is his way of opening him up, peeling off each layer and examining underneath, creating hypotheses and testing them against Lance’s every word, of unfolding every part of Lance until there’s nothing left but a small boy from Cuba. 

Shamefully, he looks down. He is not proud of the feelings and thoughts that he’s trapped beneath the surface. He couldn’t make them go away, he’d learned, but he could sure as hell bury them and forget they existed. And now they were all crawling their way to the surface, every hurtful word sent his way, every annoyed glance, every self-hating thought. He closed his eyes to stem the tide of tears, scrunching them tighter when they still fought to get out. 

A hand out of his arm had his eyes opening to look up, one traitorous tear slipping out as he did. Kinkade’s eyes met his, soft, and empathetic. There was no pity, only understanding and something else Lance couldn’t place.

“I guess I’m upset, but not with my team. I just... it’s hard you know? All of this? We’re just kids. We all have a lot on our plates. There’s no time for feelings in a war. I know that.” Lance paused to take a breath. “But I wasn’t made for war. Not that the other’s are, but they’ve all just adapted. Me, I tried to be a good paladin, a good right-hand man. A good leader. But all I wanted was to go home. The glory was great, ya know, doing the right thing and defeating the bad guy. But none of it makes losing 5 years with my family okay.” Lance sighed and looked out, the desert rock formations reflecting the sun’s corona onto the desert before him. 

“Sylvio and Nadia were toddlers, when I left. And all I had to remember them with was a hologram of Earth. I couldn’t talk to the others. They’d all lost more. They all still fought. It’s me, I can’t do what they can. I’m no genius, in fact the opposite. I got thrown into a fucking game show and singled out as “the dumb one” for God’s sake. I’m not strong and I can’t really fight. I can shoot things. And make jokes. But, maybe for once it’d be nice to be more. More than the clown. More than the dumb kid, more than the kid who can’t speak fucking English. If I couldn’t go home, then I wanted to be something.” Lance finished, stuttering back sobs that wracked his chest. 

Kinkade lightly grasped Lance’s chin and pulled him closer, leaning in to speak to him in a voice so dead serious he was almost frightening. “Those things you think about yourself aren’t true. You are my hero, you know. You stepped out of that lion and suddenly there was hope. For Earth. And you’re right. You are so young to have gone through so much, and it’s not fair. But you’re not alone anymore. Let someone in, Lance.” Kinkade finished by pressing his forehead up against Lance’s and for a moment they just sat there, connected.

Tears were falling freely down Lance’s face st this point, he’d relinquished his hold on them, willing to let Kinkade see through the layers he’d so carefully contained, down to his deepest depths. Slowly, the need to be closer, to be comforted, won out, and Lance leaned in the remaining distance to press their lips together. It was wet, and messy. Lance was still crying, but every sob and stutter was swallowed up by Kinkade’s warmth. It was like being one with the sun, he was so warm and _bright_ , but there was nothing dangerous, or painful about this touch. It was like soaking up sun rays, every single press of Kinkade’s lips or caress of his hand felt illuminating, golden. Lance’s hands came up to cradle Kinkade’s face, to communicate his gratitude, his love, his pain, all in a kiss. 

They shared gentle touches and kisses until the sun finally set over the mesas and the sky turned purple in the twilight.   
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“Does this make us boyfriends?”

Kinkade just chuckles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn’t the end y’all don’t freak out. I’m just a fucking romantic need regular doses of cheesiness to survive. 
> 
> You should know the drill by now tweet me @imqueerdear or comment if you got any requests or ideas or hate to send. Also, totally forgot this until now, my tumblr is @biandwannadie I don’t check super often tho so don’t panic if I don’t respond right away.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluffy shit and a teeny tiny bit of plot.

Lance woke with the first rays of sun. Blinking, he sat up, disoriented. He and Kinkade had fallen asleep after cuddling and talking for what felt like forever. Kinkade was curled slightly toward him, still asleep. Lance’s jacket was spread out beneath them like a blanket. Humming contentedly, Lance laid back down, curling around Kinkade as he had the night before. Lance was _not_ going to pass up the opportunity to use Kinkade’s bicep as a pillow, splay his hand across his pec. 

Kinkade’s chest rumbled in amusement, evidently having awoken with Lance’s shifting. Lance just snuggled his face further into him and his arms snuck around to cling to Kinkade like a sloth. “Lance, we should get up.” 

“Just five more minutes, Ryan. You’re comfy.” Lance was a bit clingy, but Kinkade thought it was adorable. People always assumed he wouldn’t be one for displays of affection, which he didn’t understand. He was just a bit more traditional, was all. And he wanted to put Lance’s comfort and boundaries before everything else. Now that they had talked, now that he knew what Lance wanted from him and what he was okay with, he was definitely going to take advantage of that to be more affectionate. The way Lance would blush whenever he did so was far more motivation than he needed. 

Eventually they got up and headed back inside, the sun starting to warm up the air enough to be uncomfortable. Lance’s eyes burned a little from his contacts, and his skin felt gross from skipping his routine, but it was worth it. He walked hand-in-hand with Kinkade, a skip in his step, as they made their way to the dining hall.  
Mari wolf-whistled as they walked through the door, and Lance flipped her the bird. 

“Lance!” A voice called from the other side of the hall. Looking back, he saw Hunk frantically gesturing for him to come over. 

“Uh, I’ll meet you at the normal spot?” He said to Kinkade, who nodded, kissed him on the cheek, and walked off. Lance immediately turned pink at the gesture, trying to rub the blush off his face as he walked over to Hunk. 

Sitting down in the one vacant seat next to Hunk, he took in the others sitting around him. Pidge and Matt were across from them, looking at Lance weirdly. He shifted his gaze over to avoid theirs and saw Keith brooding as usual. Allura and Romelle were on the other side, giggling and playing with each others’ hair as they talked, and Shiro and Adam also were being gross a few seats down from him and Hunk. He was surprised when he learned that Shiro didn’t mind PDA, and in fact just showered Adam with affection everywhere they went, but figured the guy probably earned his free pass for it. 

Someone clearing their throat caused him to look back at those next to him, seeing Hunk’s excited face a few inches away from his. Pretending to have no idea what the questioning stares and amused looks meant, he hummed questioningly before looking away casually. 

“Cut the shit Lance, you and Kinkade. I need all the details now. It’s for science.” Pidge said, slamming her hand down on the table. Surprised, he looked up at her, then squawked in embarrassment. 

“Oh my god, Pidge! Keep your voice down! Stop yelling at me and I’ll happily answer your questions!” Matt chuckled and Hunk gave him a consoling pat on the back. 

“Okay. I need you to tell me when, where, what, why, and how. I need everything, McClain.” 

Scoffing at her intensity, Lance began answering their questions. “Uhhh, Okay I guess for ‘when’ it’s been pretty much since we came back? I think I forgot to tell you guys but he came to visit me in the hospital to fill me in on what happened and everything, and he was just really kind? And hot, that too, but mostly he’s just really sweet and gentle. So like, then we went on the first mission together and we worked really well together, and after we got back we spent the day together and then I kissed him and... ack” Lance grew too flustered to finish his story and just buried his face in his hands. 

Hunk chuckled and pat him on the back, and Matt ‘awwed’ while Pidge looked like she wished she had a notepad. “Then what about this morning?” She asked. 

“Oh,” Lance blushed, “well, umm, last night we made it official.” 

“You banged?” Pidge whisper-yelled. 

“Wha-“ Lance’s eyes widened, “NO! Oh my god, Pidge!” He uttered in mortification. It was then that Keith started choking across from him. Matt pounded on his back a couple times and asked, concerned, “You all good bud?” 

Keith just nodded and coughed a couple more times, suddenly getting up and saying “I’ll talk to you later, guys.” 

_huh, weird_ Lance thought. He knew things were a little awkward between them, but he hadn’t meant to chase him away. Feeling guilty, Lance looked back to the rest of the group and said “I should, uh, go eat. I’ll talk to you later?” He quickly got up and scooted over to his normal table, ignoring Pidge’s angry yells behind him. 

Reaching his table, he saw Kinkade had already gotten him his food. “Thanks” he said, leaning over to kiss his cheek. 

“So, what was that about, hermanooo? Got something you wanna share?” She drawled. Lance threw a piece of fruit at her but she caught it and ate it smugly. 

“Probably something to do with all the sneaking around he and Kinkade have been up to.” Leifsdottir said flatly. Lance and Kinkade glanced at one another and then blushed, looking away. 

Tiredly, Griffin turned to Lance and said, “all I ask is that you don’t distract him during missions.” 

Lance awkwardly squeaked “yes sir” and buried his face in his hands. Kinkade’s hand came up to soothingly rub his back. 

After more embarrassing comments from the team, The two practically fled the cafeteria to the hangar for assignment updates, snickering as Lance tugged the other behind him. 

Entering the hangar, Lance made Kinkade show him more of his fighter jet’s cool features until everyone else began showing up in the room. 

Making their way over as Shiro and Adam entered the room, they hung around for usual announcements, until Shiro began grouping people off for missions. They joined Hunk, gathering the extra equipment they’d need to continue their work. Pidge had managed to create some prototypes of Olkarion devices that they were to begin installing in the greenhouses. As they were gathering things up, footsteps approached them. Lance glanced up, only to make awkward eye contact with Keith, before his eyes darted over to Shiro who was dragging the reluctant boy to their group. 

“Hey.” Shiro started. “Keith was on a mission yesterday so I’m putting him with you guys today to take a break from that.” 

“Ugghhh” Keith groaned. “What am I even supposed to do with plants.” 

“Whatever Hunk tells you to.” Shiro looked so done with Keith’s petulant act, and he looked and Lance with thinly veiled desperation in his eyes. Lance just nodded a silent promise to keep Keith out of trouble before turning to Keith himself. 

“Come on, Samurai. We’re no Blade of Marmora but we’re not that bad.” Keith just poured, refusing to meet his eyes. Sending that Keith had stopped fighting him, Shiro quickly walked off. Lance looked over at the other two members of his group in confusion and concern. This was going to be interesting. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s so hard to write fluff when your anxiety and depression meters are full. That’s why this chapter took so long, if you’re wondering. Sorry about that! I’m back in business though so take this and expect more on the way. Keith’s behavior will be discussed very soon. Stay tuned.
> 
> Edit: sorry about literally EVERYTHING being in italics. That’s annoying. Should be better now.


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